Cyber network security refers to the measure that organizations take to protect their computers, data and networks from malicious attacks.

Security for networks refers specifically to the measures taken to secure the components of a network and the data it contains through human monitoring and automated security software. The overall aim is to protect the availability of the network (and hence its data).

Cyber security, also referred to as information security, refers to protecting computer systems’ data from unauthorized access, disclosure, deletion, use, modification, inspection, recording or disruption. Data is at the heart of the security process and its protection is the primary goal of any security function. Its mission is to defend an organization’s networks, computers and data from unauthorized access, various types of cyber attacks or other damage by implementing security processes, technologies and practices.

The aim is to protect the data that is carried by a network and the computer and other devices that comprise it. Threats to security include the following types of attacks: viruses, Trojans, zero-day vulnerabilities, hacking, denial of service and spyware (or adware).

A cyber network security team implements the hardware, software and processes necessary to guard an organization’s IT architecture. The aim is to detect any threats to the system before they infiltrate or begin to cause damage to the network and compromise the data it maintains.

There are various components to a network security system that work together to improve an organization’s security posture. Some of the most common network security components include:

• Firewalls
• Anti-virus software
• Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS)
• Virtual private networks (VPNs)

When security is compromised, the first priority for the security team is to get the attackers either isolated or removed from the system quickly as possible. The longer they stay in a network, the more time they have to steal sensitive data. According to some estimates, not including catastrophes or large scale data security breaches, the average cost of a data breach per compromised record in the United States is around $180 and the average cost to an organization of a large data breach can be more than $5 million. The most effective method to manage security risks, therefore, is mitigating the possibility that an attacker can access a network and, if they do, ensuring that techniques and processes are in place to quickly detect them and make sure that they cannot access sensitive data quickly.